These are the same folks who told us that there would be a Spanish Fort store open by now - so take their predictions with a grain of salt. However, this jump of near 60% in openings maybe possible with the new mini-stores as part of the plan. The two Canadian locations are certainly possible.

Great news, I hope there's a slew of stores in Canada within the next couple of years!

__________________My riches consist not in the extent of my possessions, but in the fewness of my wants.- J. Brotherton

I posted this yesterday in the London store thread, but it looks to be lost in the jubilation and planning for that opening. Here it is again, Apple will open two new UK stores in 2005. Not only will the Bullring store in Birmingham open next year, but Apple is also planning to open a store in Kent.

Quote:

Apple confirms more UK retail stores

By Jonny Evans

Apple today confirmed it plans new retail outlets across the UK and Europe.

Launching the first European retail outlet in London, Apple's senior vice president of retail Ron Johnson confirmed the company's plans.

Johnson showed a short video of the opening of the company's first international retail outlet in Tokyo's trendy Ginza shopping district. "The Ginza line was three-quarters of a mile long in a rainstorm," he said.

Apple hopes to repeat this success in London this Saturday, November 20, when it throws open the doors of its newest outlet to this city's Mac-hungry public.

Company plans don't end there: "We will be opening two new stores in the UK next year," Johnson said.

The new outlets will be situated at Birmingham's Bullring and Kent's huge Bluewater shopping centre. "We want to open as soon as possible," Johnson said, confirming the company to be "working closely in Europe" to open additional outlets there.

Apple chose to launch in the UK's busiest street, Regent Street, the Bullring and Bluewater, because, "we wanted to be where the people go to be part of their lives."

He could only confirm the Birmingham and Kent stores will open "sometime in 2005", though his manner implied that Apple hopes to open in the new locations early in 2005.

Just ran across this and I'll be looking for confirmation later today.

Quote:

Source reveals that Apple resellers in Canada have just received the following email, announcing the companyís plans to open an Apple retail store in Toronto :

Apple Canada is announcing today that an Apple Branded Retail Store location will be opening in Toronto, *mid year 2005.

Apple currently has ninety-six retail stores in the US, two in Japan, and one opening in London, England this weekend. *The stores have been incredibly popular, attracting more than fifty million visitors since the first store was opened in May of 2001.

They provide great hands-on experience for customers, and we welcome the store to Canada as a great complement to our existing distribution channels.

This piece of information should be confirmed by Apple later today through an official press release.

This would be the first official confirmation of a widely circulating rumor that Apple will open its first Canadian store in Toronto this year. It also means that Apple will likely open at least four international stores in 2005 - Toronto, Birmingham, Kent, and Nagoya.

This would be the first official confirmation of a widely circulating rumor that Apple will open its first Canadian store in Toronto this year. It also means that Apple will likely open at least four international stores in 2005 - Toronto, Birmingham, Kent, and Nagoya.

Excellent news, confirmation is great! Don't know when I'll actually be in the Toronto area to visit the store when it eventually opens, but I'm just happy in general that Canada will be getting Apple Stores in the future!

__________________My riches consist not in the extent of my possessions, but in the fewness of my wants.- J. Brotherton

The Nagoya and Kent stores are now listed on the Apple "drop down" menu. It usually takes from 3 to 6 months from such a listing to the opening of the store. That would mean a March to May opening for both stores is likely.

In the middle of a glowing article about Apple's retail stores and the genius bars in particular USA Today says this about Apple's 100th store.

Quote:

Walk into one in Los Angeles' outdoor mall The Grove, in New York's Soho district, on Chicago's North Michigan Avenue or in Austin's Barton Creek Mall, and it is likely to be jammed with customers. Saturday, Apple opened its first European store, in London's West End district. Next month, the 100th store will open, in Bethesda, Md.

emphasis added.

The Bethesda Row store is one of the new mini-stores Apple has begun to open since October. It looks like Century City (LA), South Shore (Boston -sorry, wdlove!), St. Louis Galleria (also a mini-store), and Lincoln Road (Miami Beach) stores will all open after the first of the year.

It would be really nice to have an Apple Store anywhere on the western portion of Michigan. If you check Apple's website the only two in the state are only 30-40 minutes apart, thats retarded :P

I know Detroit has a large population, but put together Grand Rapids, Lansing, Holland, Muskegon, Grand Haven, and Ludington (4 major west lakeshore cities) all have little to no access to a store except for a 2hr. drive

When can I walk into a beautiful store filled with gorgeous products locally!?

__________________Vino of life. Regardless the quantity, strength, or validity of your efforts, they are always in vain.

In the middle of a glowing article about Apple's retail stores and the genius bars in particular USA Today says this about Apple's 100th store.

emphasis added.

The Bethesda Row store is one of the new mini-stores Apple has begun to open since October. It looks like Century City (LA), South Shore (Boston -sorry, wdlove!), St. Louis Galleria (also a mini-store), and Lincoln Road (Miami Beach) stores will all open after the first of the year.

I appreciate that you ares till keeping my dream in mind. I'm still very optimistic.

Seems like this has been going on forever, but if anyone's interested, here's the skinny on the Spanish Fort (Mobile metro), AL store.

I work at Hollister in Eastern Shore Centre, which just opened last week. I had the opportunity to speak with one of the members of mall management who came in our store while we were readying for its opening. I jokingly mentioned that it was too bad we didn't get that Apple store. She laughed, and told me that they had received more calls from curious shoppers about Apple than anything else.

Apple briefly expressed interest in the center, through a real estate agent, but decided to hold off for now. Despite a few large, "first-in-market" stores, there were a few that decided to hold off until the center has proved itself. That's largely due to the fact that it's away from the population center, in an area that is just beginning to develop quickly.

The center is only about 75% leased, and this is only phase I of a project that will eventually see ESC more than double in size in its latter two stages. So, while Apple has backed out for now, it certainly doesn't preclude them from hopping on board in the future.

At least knowing that Apple is aware of and interested in the area is nice in itself.

Last edited by good citizen; Dec 13, 2004 at 12:55 AM.
Reason: Clarification

According to an anonymous sources, Apple has finalized a deal that will bring an Apple Retail outlet to the Southlake Town Square in Southlake, Texas. The outdoor shopping center sits on 130-acres of land and is a convenient drive from anywhere in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.

The first phase of the mall opened in March of 1999, and consisted of 234,881 square feet of office and retail as well as a City park and Pavilion. Over the next four years, Town Square has grown accommodate 14 restaurants, 58 offices and 67 of the nationís top retailers.

Representatives from United Commercial Reality--the related leasing agency--failed to return repeated calls for comment. According to the original source, the Apple location is not scheduled to open until 2006.

Update: AppleInsider has now positively confirmed that Apple will indeed open a retail outlet in the Grand Avenue District of the Southlake Town Square. The 250,000-square-foot Grand Avenue space is currently under construction. Apple will lease newly constructed space of approximately 3,000 to 3,500 square feet. The store is tenatively scheduled to open in April 2006.

wdlove, no problem, I keeping an eye out for any information on Boston and will let you know if I see anything.

good citizen, great post! I've been wondering what was the deal behind the disappearing Apple Store in Spanish Fort.

St. Louis Apple Store coming [updated]
November 24, 2004 - 19:28 EST** Apple plans to open a new retail store at the Galleria shopping center in St. Louis, Missouri. MacMinute reader Jeff Geerling writes, "I was at the Galleria on Saturday night, and I noticed an Apple Store being built on the second level--there is a large white Apple logo and 'www.apple.com' painted on a black covering over the storefront." Both the the Galleria's Web site and Apple's jobs site confirm the new Apple Store. The St. Louis Galleria houses more than 165 stores, including 35 exclusive stores. Update: Tom Myler informed us that the new store will be a mini Apple Store and is supposed to open on December 22, 2004.

While being totally underwhelmed by the "news" character of a story that has been reported elsewhere for months already (including here), the Dec. 22nd opening date is of interest. If both this date and the USA Today's date of next month for the Bethesda Row store opening are true we will have 101 stores by the end of the year. Exceeding Apple's announced plan of 100. ifoAppleStore has reported the St. Louis store as being delayed by construction problems. My recommendation? Take macminute's report with one huge grain of salt.

OK, it's official. The new Toronto store will be in the Yorkdale shopping centre. Although no individual job openings are listed, there is now a listing for a Toronto-Yorkdale store location on Apple's web site.

OK, it's official. The new Toronto store will be in the Yorkdale shopping centre. Although no individual job openings are listed, there is now a listing for a Toronto-Yorkdale store location on Apple's web site.

Confirmation is a good thing.

Hopefully this is only the start for Canada!

__________________My riches consist not in the extent of my possessions, but in the fewness of my wants.- J. Brotherton

There are now individual listings for the usual job openings at Apple's retail job site for the Nagoya store. All announced stores except the Toronto store have such listings now. The following is a list of stores we know will open either in this month or next year. At least one of the first four will open this month.

There are now individual listings for the usual job openings at Apple's retail job site for the Nagoya store. All announced stores except the Toronto store have such listings now. The following is a list of stores we know will open either in this month or next year. At least one of the first four will open this month.

South Shore Plaza - Braintree, Massachusetts

Any word yet on when the store opening might occur? Will it be a large store with a cinema area?

Any word yet on when the store opening might occur? Will it be a large store with a cinema area?

wdlove, sorry, my information is limited to what I read at sites such as ifoAppleStore. Here is what that site says,

Quote:

South Shore Plaza - Braintree (Mass.) - First listed July 14, 2004 as a location on the "Jobs" Web page, it's an indoor, Simon-owned property next to I-93 south of Boston. The store is next to Crate and Barrel, in the "G" section of the store. It will be the 5th store in the region. Appeared on printed store calendar Sept. 1, 2004. Construction reportedly stalled until after the holidays

The store will be one level and without a cinema area, if the absence of a theater director position is any indication. As far as I know, only the high-profile stores - Soho, Regent street, The Grove, Ginza, North Michigan, Osaka, and San Francisco - have theaters, so this is hardly surprising. The Braintree location appears from here to be a normal, run of the mill, mid-size Apple store. However, given the fact you are so close, perhaps you could stroll by one day and see if my take on things is correct.

As to an opening date, Apple keeps these things close to the vest. Usually there isn't an announcement until 7-10 days before the grand opening. However, given the timing of the job postings (they first appeared in July and the Manager and Asst. Manager positions are still not filled) and the rumors of construction delays, I'm betting on a late January 2005 opening at the earliest.

It's right next to Arizona and Texas - just south of Colorado. Did it get lost?

Seriously, Albuquerque is only the 18th largest metro area without a store. The good news is that it looks like the retail expansion maybe accelerating (from about 25 a year to up to perhaps 40 next year) and some of the larger cities sans stores may get one.

Out of curiosity has anyone figured out how much lead time Apple leaves between seeking employees for their retail stores and opening day? Since Toronto job postings aren't up yet and Yorkdale's new expansion won't be availible till "Spring" I was wondering if we could use the job postings to estimate the stores opening....

__________________

My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we'll change the world. - Jack Layton

It is official - Apple has announced that the Bethesda Row mini-store will open on Dec. 11th at 10:00 am; making it the 100th store in Apple's retail effort.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Raid

Out of curiosity has anyone figured out how much lead time Apple leaves between seeking employees for their retail stores and opening day? Since Toronto job postings aren't up yet and Yorkdale's new expansion won't be availible till "Spring" I was wondering if we could use the job postings to estimate the stores opening....

The fastest opening from job listing to the opening of the doors is almost exactly 3 months. The usual is more like 5 - 6 months. So to be safe, I always give 3 to 6 months from the initial listing to opening. The high profile stores take longer - more like 7 to 9 months. Toronto's new store most likely will not be of the high profile variety (being in a mall makes it very different from any previous such store.)